Last November, sandwiched between an emotional, upset victory at Houston and a trip to the Maui Invitational, BYU lost at Boise State in overtime.
The Cougars and Broncos meet again Wednesday (7 p.m., MST, BYUtv) at the Marriott Center.
BYU may be a little road weary these days after three straight games away from Provo. But the Cougars, at least those who were on the team last year, haven’t forgotten that painful setback in Boise.
In fact, at the conclusion of practice Tuesday, guard Alex Barcello talked to his teammates about last year’s defeat.
Guard Trevin Knell remembers that Boise State game and “how hard (the Broncos) crashed the offensive glass. They’re more athletic this year. We overlooked them a little bit last year. This year, we’re looking to come out and smack them in the mouth. We’re kind of looking at it as a rivalry. We’re definitely here to make some noise and prove something.”
Yes, it’s another big week for BYU (5-1), which will also host archrival Utah Saturday.
“Well, we’re going to play the best two teams that we’ve played,” said coach Mark Pope of this week’s challenge. “We’re going to learn if we’re getting any better. We’re going to be put to the test again.”
Boise State (2-1) is led by 6-foot-9 forward Derrick Alston Jr., who scored 26 points and pulled down 11 rebounds against the Cougars last season.
Alston withdrew from the NBA draft last summer.
“This Boise State team has an NBA draft pick next year,” Pope said of Alston. “He’s such a problem on all three levels scoring the ball and he’s got tremendous length, which makes him tough defensively. They’ve got a backcourt that’s really feisty and athletic and can score the ball. They’ve got some physicality up front with a great coach and a great scheme. They’re veteran guys. It’s going to be a huge challenge.”
Boise State’s lone loss this season came on the road at No. 7 Houston, 68-58.
Pope remembers last year’s game in Boise as “an offensive debacle” for his team. It took place while Yoeli Childs was serving his NCAA suspension and the rest of the team was trying to figure out how to play in Pope’s system.
“We were absolutely terrible defensively. A lot of credit due to Boise State,” Pope said. “We didn’t start out as the well-oiled machine that these guys grew into during the course of the season last year where they became an offensive juggernaut.”
This year’s team, filled with newcomers and players taking on new roles, is figuring things out offensively as well.
“We’re clearly not where that team was at the end of the season but I do think we are making progress,” Pope said. “We have a pretty clear vision of some direction we’re trying to take this team offensively. … Hopefully we can grow into something like that. Clearly, we’re not there yet.”
Knell acknowledges that the Cougars are still getting used to playing with each other.
“We have a lot of growth to do. This team is super talented. We’re learning to play with each other a little more and have better chemistry,” he said. “We’re a bigger team this year. The spacing is something we have to work on. It’s going to be a fun one tomorrow, how we’ll defend and how we’ll play offensively.”
Aside from being an aggressive team on the glass, Boise State is adept at forcing turnovers and turning those into points. BYU, meanwhile, has struggled at times this season with turnovers.
“Coach Pope talks about taking care of the ball. We’ve got to value it and make smart plays,” Knell said. “Today, coach Pope made sure every time we turned the ball over, we were running (in practice).”
Guard Brandon Averette, a grad transfer from Utah Valley University, has enjoyed what he’s seen from this team so far this season, knowing that there’s room for improvement.
“We have a lot of stuff to get better at but I love the fight that this team has,” he said. “We’re competing no matter what’s thrown at us.”
No, the Cougars won’t be taking Wednesday’s matchup against Boise State lightly.
“We’re treating it as the hardest game we’ve had all year,” Averette said. “We’re not overlooking any team.”
Boise State (2-1) at BYU (5-1)
Wednesday, 7 p.m. MST
Marriott Center
TV: BYUtv
Radio: 1160 AM, 102.7 FM